What is Math Anxiety? How to overcome it?
Many students claim not to like math. But for some, the issue with math is more than simply disliking algebra or fractions. For some students, doing math can cause negative emotions like fear of failure. This harms their ability to perform. This is called ‘Math Anxiety’.
So, what is it?
Math anxiety impacts students as early as primary school by affecting their working memory. Working memory is like a ‘mental scratchpad’. It is important when we need to keep track of numbers. But this working memory can be disrupted by math anxiety in both primary and secondary school students. This can lead students with math anxiety to be as much as half a school year behind their peers in math.
What causes math anxiety?
- The pressure caused by time limits on tests
- The deadlines that timed tests impose on students lead them to feel anxious. This leads them to forget concepts that they have no problem remembering at home. Since these tests can have a negative impacts on grades, the student’s fear of failure is confirmed.
- The fear of public embarrassment
- Math anxiety has also been liked to negative emotions from the past. If a student has been scolded for getting an answer wrong, it can make their anxiety worse. The same is true if they have been embarrassed in front of others.
- Influence of teachers
- Students can also pick up on their teacher’s feelings about math. If a teacher is excited and positive about math, the students will be as well. But if educators are negative about it, it can have the opposite effect.
What are the symptoms of math anxiety?
- Unusual nervousness when doing or thinking about math
– Even thinking about the subject of math is enough to cause stress to the student.
- Passive behaviour
– The student is either too afraid of failure, or simply thinking about math brings so many negative emotions, that they are unwilling to even try.
- A feeling of being alone
– The student feels that they are the only one incapable of finding the solutions, even if the math extremely complicated.
- Lack of confidence
– The student expects never to know the answers to math questions, so the student depends on other people to do math for them.
- Panic during tests or when called on to answer questions
– The classroom becomes a major source of stress for the student, especially when he or she is taking a test or expected to contribute in class.
How to prevent math anxiety?
- Positive reinforcement
– Students coping with math anxiety need to feel that they can excel in math. Review homework with your child and point out all the questions they got right. Put an emphasis on correct answers rather than mistakes. If possible, surround the student with positive teachers and students.
- Get a tutor
– Teachers can have a great impact on a student’s feelings toward math. Tutors can provide personal attention that is hard to get at school. They can help students work through their problems in a low-pressure environment. Tutoring can also improve students’ self-confidence.
Resource:
https://www.oxfordlearning.com/what-is-math-anxiety/